Izunais a roguelike RPG meaning several things, randomly generated maps, each time you enter a dungeon it will be completely new floors.

It has turn based movement, when you move or perform and action such as attacking or using an item the enemies can also perform an action. In other words when you move the enemies move, if you perform no action neither will the enemies until you perform one.

The last thing to mention is defeat, defeat has permanent consequences. In Izuna when you are defeated you lose all your items, money, equipment and any progress you made on the dungeon.

If you still have no idea what a roguelike RPG is like all you have to do is take a look at the popular Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series on the DS.

I was originally attracted to this game for two reasons. The first is that this is an Atlus published RPG, the second was the title and the the titular character Izuna.

Izuna is quite an odd character as while she is good at heart she is also stubborn and a little selfish, things not usually associated with your run of the mill RPG protagonist.

The reason why I mention this game and made this post is that I died playing this game.

A lot.

While some occasions it was just the game being plain sadistic, three traps in a row and one of them summoning enemies to surround me is no fun when those were my first three steps.

Most often than not it was my fault, the reason why I kept dying has a lot in common with why I die playing Demon’s Souls or Monster Hunter.

Lack of patience, this generation for the most part has taken patience out of playing games, one can rush forward thanks to things such as abundant check points and regenerating health.

Izuna on the other hand is the total opposite, patience, preparation and playing smart is the key to success.

One cannot simply power through, there is a need to chose when to fight or when to flee, when to use items, heal, what equipment to use, or simply cutting your loses and exit the dungeon and start again.

It’s because of those differences that I find myself enjoying the game as much as I have been.

Just like when slaying a demon in Demon’s Soul, or capturing a monster in Monster Hunter, when I clear a dungeon and defeat a boss the feeling of accomplishment is something that I rarely find outside video games.

That’s enough for my rant, if you are interested in playing this game the first is a little hard to find offline, but the second is quite common.